TV Preview: Doctor Series 7 Part 2

Some things in life fill me with complete joy. Long walks on the beach, the scent of freshly cut grass and sunflowers on a summer's day. Oh, and being able to type the next sentence: Doctor Who is back bitches!

That's right Whovians, your favourite 1200 year old, double-hearted, kind of schizophrenic alien that zooms around time and space in a blue box is back on Australian television screens this weekend. So what can we expect from the second half of Series 7? Well dear fellows, read on...

After the first half of Series 7 whooshed by way too fast, we've had to wait nearly a year to see the Doctor back on TV. Sure we had the pretty fantastic Christmas Special, "The Snowmen", to fill the void, but fans were left craving more of the Doctor post-Ponds. Now, back for a full eight episodes, here is what you can expect from the BBC's flagship family show this Autumn...

Each episode follows Steven Moffat's formula of 'a film a week'. That is, each week we have a self-contained adventure that is fast-paced, fun and has it's own look and feel. The above poster is for the opener 'The Bells of St. John', a modern urban thriller, whilst we can also expect 'Hide', a spooky ghost story and 'Cold War', a submarine set siege.

Amy and Rory are gone for good. Show-runner Steven Moffat has ruled-out the duo returning for the meantime and is quoted as saying he is happy with the conclusion they were given. Sniff.


The show is focused on answering one question at a time. That is, we won't find out the Series 6 cliffhanger "Doctor Who?" until the riddle surrounding Clara Oswald is resolved.

For those of you not in the loop, Clara is the Doctor's newest companion. However, all is not that simple. The Doctor has already met Clara not once, but twice, each encounter ending with poor Clara biting the dust. Confused? Don't worry, the mystery surrounding Clara and her reappearances are the focus of Series 7 Part 2.

There's plenty of retro villains. One of the main attractions of Doctor Who is its recurring baddies. So, rest assured there are reappearances in the next eight episodes from the Cybermen (just not as you know them) and the even more retro Ice Warriors (set to appear in 'Cold War').

There's also new villains. If there's one thing we can commend Moffat and co. for, it's dreaming up some seriously chilling enemies in the past (e.g. The Silence, The Weeping Angels).

Promotional posters for 'The Bells of St. John', 'Cold War',
'Hide' and 'The Rings of Akhaten'

For the second half of Series 7, fans will be treated all sorts of enemies from the absurdly named Spoonheads in 'The Bells of St. John', the Whisphermen in 'Hide' to "a mummy of sorts" in 'The Rings of Akhaten'.

We'll see more of the TARDIS than ever before. That's right, episode 11 is entitled 'Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS' and it promises to give a glimpse of the sprawling insides of the Doctor's ship much in the same way that 'The Doctor's Wife' did in Series 6.

Another promotional image for the première, 'The Bells of St. John'.

Lots of returnees. The Cybermen and the Ice Warriors aren't the only returnees; Series 7 will see the return of plenty of the Doctor's friends and companions.

Pencilled in to appear in the yet untitled season finale are River Song (Alex Kingston), Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Strax (Dan Starkey) and Jenny (Catrin Stewart), the last three of which will also appear in episode 12, 'The Crimson Horror'

Doctor Who returns to the ABC on Easter Sunday, the 31st of March 2013. Let me know in the comment section below what you are most excited for in the next run of episodes! I'll be writing a review of the 8 episodes when they have concluded in the same way I did for Season 7 Part 1.